Hudson Valley Chef Named Semi-Finalist For James Beard Award

The James Beard Award is one of the highest honors a chef can receive, and a Hudson Valley chef made the list of nominees. The semi-finalists were announced on Thursday, Feb. 15.

Nick Suarez, of Gaskins in Germantown in Colombia County, was nominated for Best Chef in the Northeast, excluding New York City. 20 chefs in total were nominated in the Northeast region. And North calls it the newest place for local residents to meet and feast.

Gaskins's website states that Suarez has worked at some of the best restaurants in New York City like Diner, Marlow & Sons, Romans, Franny’s, Gramercy Tavern and The Modern. Nick and his wife Sarah also operated a catering company for the past two years. Gaskins is a farm to table style restaurant.

The menu at Nick's restaurant is upscale, with some homey classics. You can find items like baked mac and cheese, cavatelli, and bay scallops.

Official nominations for the James Beard Awards will be announced on March 14.